Trial Run
by JokerKid988
Summary: Madelyn Avery has been kidnapped and is now a test subject in some sadistic lab. Nearly everyone is killed by the injections, but she survives. Now she is tested for her limits and her new abilities. However, she keeps her defiant nature throughout the ordeal and makes it her mission to annoy the blonde bastard that is in charge of it all: Albert Wesker.
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a slightly updated version of Chapter 1. I have Chapter 2 finished and will post it shortly. I've got a lot of plot points figured out, even to the point of having a sequel, but I have a hard time with those 'in-between' moments. I feel like this story hasn't gotten much love from the views, so I'm kinda weak on it. Maybe I'll find some motivation this time around. Enjoy!**

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As Wesker walks to his office, he contemplates the test subject's status. A minuscule part of him reminds him, like a tap on the shoulder, " _She's not just a test subject. Her name is Madelyn."_ He brushes it off and corrects that small part, " _She's test subject MA-42. Expendable."_ He laughs under his breath and resentfully corrects himself. " _Hardly expendable."_ He thought, " _She's been my greatest success."_ In the five months since her infection, she has slowly grown stronger, faster. Her power can almost rival his own. He theorizes that, with time, she will grow stronger. Perhaps as strong as him. Yet without the proper training, she cannot utilize the full extent of her abilities.

" _But Christ, she's a handful."_ he thought. He would never admit that to anyone—least of all her. While he has been wanting to begin training, her rebellious demeanor makes things…difficult, to say the least. Despite her current situation, she has quite the mouth on her. Her snarky remarks and condescending sarcasm is similar to his own and he can easily keep up, given that he isn't in a bad mood. " _I really ought to teach her some manners."_ He thought in a sinister tone.

A young tech turns the corner ahead. When he sees Wesker, he immediately pales and his pace slows. Out of fear and respect (mostly the former), he looks downward, watching his shoes shuffle along the tile flooring. In response, Wesker sneers at the pathetic man but otherwise ignores him. After seeing the man's black boots pass by, the tech waits another ten seconds before breathing again, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

" _Pathetic."_ Wesker thinks before returning to his prior engagement.

It sometimes amuses him when the woman acts defiant. It makes things interesting. However, there is a very narrow line between amusement and irritation. She often dances precariously upon that line, crossing it more often then he would like. Whenever she does cross that line, he immediately puts her in her place, though she never seems to stay there long.

" _Rebellious, yes. But also, admirably resilient."_ Although the tests they put her through are taxing on both her physical and emotional health, she still finds the energy to attempt escape. As well as go out of her way to annoy him in any way possible. He finds that energy exemplified after she's been through a particularly difficult trial. Usually one where she must fight a horde of B.O.W.s. Her difficult and stubborn nature reminded him of someone else.

" _Yes, I haven't met anyone so difficult since—"_ He pauses and takes a deep breath as he tries to quell the growing hatred. Under his breath, he mutters, "Chris", grinding out the syllables through clenched teeth. Their last encounter still left a sour taste in his mouth. Seven years later, he could still remember the excruciating pain of swimming in lava and two RPGs to the face.

He growls inwardly and shakes the thoughts of his old nemesis from his mind. " _Where was I? Right, combat."_

Whenever a fight has been especially difficult, and she has been torn and bloodied by some of the most extreme specimens available, she limps back to her room and tries to rest. Let her body heal from the damages. Sometimes it is so severe that she even falls unconscious and remains so for several hours (something he can remember all too well from his early days).

She is certainly powerful enough to dispatch the beasts, but her lack of combat knowledge greatly disadvantages her. When she fights, she lashes out barbarically, with no form whatsoever. In doing so, she drains her energy quickly and with little effectiveness towards her enemies.

He finally reaches his office door and decides on his plans for the woman. " _I'll start training her soon. Teach her how to properly use her abilities."_ He sighs and as an after-thought, adds: " _So long as she can behave herself until then."_

Pulling the key from his pocket, he unlocks the door and expects to find his office dark. Instead he is surprised to find a lamp on. And a guard at his desk, perusing through his personal belongings.

"What the hell are you doing in here!" He growls, his eyes turning red and starting to glow through his shades.

"Seriously, what is your thing with sunglasses?" The guard did not need to turn around for him to know exactly who it was. He grinds his teeth in response and wonders how the hell she had escaped this time.

The guard turned and revealed Madelyn under the helmet. The visor was raised and her expression exhibited one of genuine curiosity mixed with smug triumph, undoubtedly knowing that her escape made him very upset (which is an understatement). In one hand she holds a photograph, in the other, a glass of his favorite scotch. She casually takes a sip of the liquor and smirks.

Wesker closes his eyes and allows himself a moment to relax, giving his eyes time to return to the pre-virus blue-gray. She always gains some control when she sees him lose his usually calm demeanor. However, he refuses to let her keep it for long.

"Miss Avery, what a pleasant surprise." He says in a very exasperated tone. She ignores his greeting and continues her query.

"I mean, this is before the virus-red-eye-monster-thing, right? So, it shouldn't be from sensitivity. Unless you had sensitive eyes prior to the virus." She waves the photo around and takes another drink.

He sighs and walks towards her to see what photograph she was referring to. She looks up innocently at him from below her lashes and turns the photo so he could see. It was from the research team back at Arklay facility, where they had been working on developing the T-virus. He was wearing a lab coat and, as usual, wore a pair of sunglasses.

He grunts but does not answer her question. As she raises the glass to her lips once more, he deftly takes it from her hand, much to her displeasure.

"Hey! I was drinking that!" She says, annoyed. Her eyes turn red, but only for a moment.

"Hmmm." He hums a response as he moves to the small cabinet behind his desk. He sets her half-finished glass down, opening the cupboard door and pouring his own before sitting at his desk.

Madelyn growls before sitting in one of the two chairs facing him. She removes the helmet and her long blonde hair cascades down across her shoulders. The helmet is placed in the seat next to her where she had already laid the standard semi-automatic rifle before she lays back in the chair, crossing her legs and pouting her lips playfully. He smirks, as he knew she was indeed annoyed, leans back in his chair and takes a sip of his drink.

She glares at him for a few moments before returning to studying the photo in her hand. Once he finishes his drink, placing the empty glass next to hers, he casually asks, "How did you get out this time?"

She glances up from the photo and smiles. "Well, wouldn't you like to know." She smiles and returns to her previous studies.

"You know I'll figure it out. Wouldn't you like to tell me yourself?"

She chuckles softly and relents. "Vents are amazing. They can take you practically anywhere."

"And the uniform?" He inquires. She leans back in the chair, propping her feet up on the edge of his desk. He rolls his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"So, I got out into the janitor's closet. A guard went by outside and I lured him in, knocked him out no problem. I'm sure you can imagine what happened next." She gestured toward the clothing.

"Anyways, since I was free for a bit, I decided to do some exploring. You know it gets kinda uncomfortable when you're stuck in that room by yourself for so long. And anytime you do get out it's all test and needles and, "Let's see if this monster can kill her." She adds sarcastically with a falsely enthusiastic smile. His lips twitch to the side, humored, but otherwise he shows no emotion.

"After walking around for a bit, I get to this office area. When I find a particularly important looking door, imagine my surprise when I see my favorite sunglass-wearing, narcissistic, asshole's name printed on it! I thought to myself, 'What kind of person would I be if I didn't stop by and say hello to that blonde bastard?' You weren't home, but I took the liberty of letting myself in and going through your stuff." She ends her story and waits for a response. After a minute, she finds none but smirks, satisfied that she has annoyed him sufficiently.

"Oh yeah, and another thing," she adds, "You haven't answered my question." She sits up and points to the photograph.

Wesker gets up to pour himself another drink. Once he sits back down, he takes a casual sip as if unimpressed. Truth be told, he was mildly impressed with her story, but sure as hell wasn't going to let her know that.

She rolls her eyes at his silence and looks at the photo for the millionth time that night, commenting, "You've always been such an expressive individual, haven't you?"

He shrugs. "What can I say? My time is valuable. I don't waste it on small things such as emotions."

She scoffs. "With the exception of anger, pride, and hatred." She shakes her head. "You poor bastard. Your childhood must have been awful."

He cocks his head and asks, "What drives you to that conclusion, my dear?"

"No one is born this cold." She says, tossing the photo on his desk in emphasis. He remains motionless as she stares at him hard and they stay that way for several seconds. Eventually she concedes and instead looks around the room. He takes this time to finish his second drink, placing the glass on the cabinet.

"Nice place you've got here."

The room is nice, indeed. His desk is dark mahogany, the top is well organized with a laptop pushed slightly to the side. The only disorderly items were the files containing old document and a few photographs that Maddy had been rifling through. He had been meaning to move those files to his penthouse but had never gotten around to it. After tonight, however, he was going to be sure to take them with him when he leaves.

As for the rest of the room, there was an expensive black leather sofa in one corner with a spotless glass table sitting in front of it, a matching leather seat next to it. Against the wall across from it stood a bookcase, also mahogany. It contained various biology and bio-engineering books he had collected over the years. Behind his desk is a cabinet that contained his personal selection of liquor, which as of late, he had hardly touched before tonight. The wall behind it was made entirely of windows overlooking the compound. Industrial lights were strategically placed between the buildings so that nearly every inch of the compound was illuminated at night. Beyond the heavy concrete walls, forest stretched for miles in every direction.

As he returns to his seat he replies, "It's suitable." He opens his laptop, finding it already powered on.

"I see you tried getting on the laptop."

"Yep. No luck though."

"Obviously." He sneers. She narrows her eyes at him but says nothing.

He opens the latest reports and reviews them. For some time, they both remain silent. Maddy sighs loudly, getting up from the chair to move to the couch, taking the semi-automatic rifle with her. He watches her closely form the corner of his eye.

She lays down, her head on the armrest facing him, one foot flat on the floor while the other one joins her on the couch. Like a bored child, she begins to toy with the rifle, being particularly amused when discovering the safety switch, repeatedly flipping it back and forth. His burning stare must have finally affected her, as she sheepishly places the rifle on the table next to her and proceeds to lay still. He returns to his review.

It was ten minutes of blissful silence before it was disrupted with a _click._ Looking at Maddy, he finds that she has discovered the sidearm. Thankfully, she flips the safety back on before clumsily inspecting the weapon. The last thing he needs tonight is to have to call clean-up crew because she accidentally shot herself.

Eventually, she spies him staring at her again. Silently, she flips the safety off and aims it at him. He coolly raises an eyebrow, daring her to pull the trigger.

"Relax, you know I wouldn't bother. No way it'd hit you anyway." She flips the safety back on but continues to aim at him.

"But a girl can dream." She sighs sadly before mime shooting him, dramatically recoiling and blowing against the barrel.

He smirks. "You've never fired a gun before in your life."

She frowns and returns the gun to its holster. "No. I haven't." Intrigued, he leans back into his chair, his review forgotten. He rotates the chair to fully face her.

"Why not?"

She shrugs, "I don't know."

He scowls, annoyed at her response. "'I don't know' is not an acceptable answer Miss Avery. Use your colorful vocabulary and give me a clear response." He sees her look away, pursing her lips to the side in thought.

After a moment she responds, "I didn't have anyone to teach me. It's not like I didn't want to shoot a gun. I just never learned how."

"Why didn't you find someone to teach you? You could have gone to any gun range and asked for assistance."

"I don't kn..." She begins to reply but catches herself when she notices his jaw tighten. "I guess...I didn't want it that much." She finished and waits silently. Gauging his reaction, waiting to see if it was suitable.

He stares at her a moment more before grunting and returning to his work. The answer wasn't satisfying, but he knew it was the best he would get.

At 11:40 he decides to call it a night, packing his laptop and collecting the files she had browsed through. He wanted to at least attempt a few hours of sleep.

Madelyn, on the other hand, had already fallen asleep on the couch, which would explain why she had been quiet for the last half hour.

He watches her sleep, her chest gently rising and falling with each breath. Silently and smoothly, he raises from his chair, taking his briefcase. As he approaches her, he can better see her face. This is one of the few times he's gotten to observe her when she is relaxed.

He recalls the first time he met her. When he had seen her, he doubted she would survive the procedure. But she surprised him. He even remembers the first thing she said to him, the fear in her gray-green eyes: _"What have I done?"_ How she trembled in his firm grasp, her blood-splattered face searching his shaded expression. Then her eyes flashed hellfire red and she screamed, body contorting in pain...

Her face, relaxed and serene, he thinks _"Beautiful. But so immature, childish. Can hardly believe she's 26."_ After a moment he corrects himself, _"No, not childish. She's just stubborn and defiant. Along with a strong attitude."_

His thoughtful gaze travels down from her face and he sighs. _"It's such a shame. The uniform leaves everything to the imagination."_ He already knows her body is quite attractive. However, it would have been nice to take a closer look.

Without meaning to, he began to imagine. " _Her physique and attitude would undoubtedly be interesting in bed. Oh, how delicious it would be to watch her unruly attitude crumble as I kiss her lips until they are plump and sore. As I kiss and caress every curve of her body, explore her sweetest places. How she would mewl and moan, claw at me as I savagely thrust into her..."_ Desire began to stir in his groin.

His lustful train of thought derails violently all of a sudden and he's shaken from his sinful reverie. _"What the hell am I thinking?! She's a damn science experiment!"_ He thinks, appalled by his behavior. The fact that there is a 30 year age difference crossed his mind for a moment, though he hardly found that relevant.

"Miss Avery." He attempts to wake her up. She doesn't stir.

He yells this time, "Miss Avery!"

Maddy jars awake and sits up abruptly, like someone caught sleeping on the job. Her eyes blink rapidly as she begins to orient herself. Satisfied, he walks toward the door, reaching for his black leather coat.

"I am afraid visiting hours are over, my dear." He sneers as he puts the coat on. She stands and begins to walk to the door.

"Leave the handgun." He growls.

"Dammit." She mutters under her breath, bowing her head in failure. She removes the gun from the holster and lays it on the glass table. Approaching the door again, she pauses in front of him and looks at him curiously.

"I've never seen you in that coat before." She thoughtfully adds, "It makes you look like even more of an asshole."

He ignores her comment and locks the door behind them. "I trust you can escort yourself back to your room?" Of course he doesn't, but by this point he is tired and wants to get away from her: his previous thoughts angering him. As she was the source of those thoughts, his anger is partly directed towards her (like it so often is). _"It's not like she could escape the facility anyway. At least, she wouldn't survive long."_

All test subjects are implanted with a device that connects to their carotid artery. The device is on a 24 hour timer. Daily injections are needed to reset the timer. If one happened to escape, without the injection the device would release a toxin into the body that rapidly clots blood flow. They would be dead in a matter of minutes.

She scoffs at him. "Ha! Trust? That's cute." He watches as she turns and begins to walk down the hall. Growling softly, he follows her.

When he reaches her side, she looks at him and stops. She gasps slowly with her hand fluttering to her chest, like someone who has just been startled.

"Walking me home on the first date? Such a gentleman." She smiles slyly, her tone sarcastically flirtatious. His eyes narrow at her, annoyed. Not that she could see it behind his shades anyway.

She abruptly drops her performance and continues walking, Wesker falling in beside her. They remain quiet for some time, navigating the corridors, echoing footsteps the only sound piercing the silence.  
Maddy's outburst interrupted that silence, "Goddammit, you still didn't answer the question!" Her pace slowed but Wesker continued. When he doesn't answer she jogs to catch up with him.  
"Why do you wear sunglasses all the time?" He continues to ignore her. Irritated, she dashes, disappearing momentarily before reappearing only two feet in front of him. It effectively stops his progress.  
He growls but she stands her ground, crossing her arms.  
"Miss Avery, it is simply a personal preference. Even if there was some other reason, it would be none of your business. Now, if you would please, turn around and let us continue to your room so that we may bring this delightful visit to an end." He practically hisses the words between clenched teeth. It was taking all of his remaining patience not to grab the woman and drag her the rest of the way.  
She huffs and turns around, continuing onward without another word. After a short elevator ride and navigating a few more corridors, they reach the containment cells. Maddy stops next to her door and waits for Wesker to input the code to unlock it.  
His gloved fingers ghosts over the keypad quickly and the door releases with a click. He steps back and opens the door, allowing Madelyn to walk through. Once inside, she turns to him and leans against the wall next to the door, asking, "So what's on the agenda tomorrow? What monster gets to try to eat me?"

"Tomorrow consists of a blood sample. After that, you will be left alone for the day."

She groans. "Why do I have the feeling there's gonna be a very unpleasant experience later in the week?"

"Sometime this week you will combat a new B.O.W type. Aside from that, there will be an endurance and speed test. The rest is in the process of being planned." He replies.

"What B.O.W type is it?"

"It's a surprise." He says flatly.

"God, it's not another Hunter type is it?" She curls her lip and slumps her shoulders, like a child who has been told to do their chores. She hates the Hunters the most.

He can't help but chuckle. "No, it is not another Hunter type."

"Good. I swear to god, the asshole who decided to make a variant with the ability to turn invisible can burn in Hell."

Her last run in with the Hunters ended in her passing out in her room to heal from the extensive injuries. And she had had plenty to say to Wesker when she woke up. He must admit, her language is quite colorful.

"Do I get any hints?"

"No."

"Fuck it all." She grumbles and pushes away from the wall. Wesker backs away from the door and prepares to close it before remembering one more thing.

"Miss Avery, if you would, please remove the uniform before you go to bed. Leave it on the desk, it'll be collected tomorrow when you are taken for blood work."

She replies without looking at him, "Yeah, whatever."

He grunts and finally closes the heavy door. It thuds dully and automatically locks back. Before leaving, he checks the small screen next to the keypad. It displays the room via a camera installed in the ceiling. Maddy turns toward the desk in the corner and starts to strip off the uniform. Satisfied that she is doing what she was told, he leaves the way they came.

" _So much for good behavior."_


	2. Chapter 2

_'Cold. So cold.'_ Madelyn thought as her mind slowly began to emerge from the fog. Trying to raise her hand to her head, she is unable to move. She groans when a bright light assaults her eyes after trying to open them. After they finally adjust, she makes out her predicament.

Due to the chilly air, she immediately notices that her clothes were gone, replaced with an unfamiliar white exercise bra with white boy-shorts to match. Goosebumps rose across her skin and she shivers unconsciously. There are nodes stuck to her chest, monitoring her heart rate. She is strapped to a table with metal restraints; ankles together with one bar holding them, her arms laid at her sides, bars covering her wrists. Out of instinct, she test the restraints but finds them utterly unmovable. The room is small, white, metallic, sterile; like that of a hospital or lab.

Suddenly the door to the left of her opens. Two people dressed in light-blue scrubs and wearing masks enter. The second scrub is holding a tray with a single syringe. The pink liquid inside almost seems as if it is glowing.

"Hey. What's going on?" She lifts her head to acknowledge them, but they ignore her.

The first scrub to enter begins to speak, but not to her. "Test Subject MA-42, restrained and prepped for injection." It was a woman. She walks to the table and stops next to Maddy's left side. The second one follows and stands next to her. This one looks to be a man.

Maddy tries to speak to them again, "Hey! What's going on here? Let me go!"

The woman turns to the man and picks up the syringe from the tray. Panicking, she starts to struggle as the woman brings the needle to her arm.

"What is that? The fuck are you doing? Let me go!" She watches the needle puncture her skin and grimaces at the sharp pinch. The strange, glowing liquid is pushed into her veins and she feels a bit light headed.

"Uroboros successfully administered to MA-42. Awaiting results." The woman says monotonously. She places the syringe on the tray and steps away, turning to the door, the man following close behind her.

"Wait! Where are you going? What did you do to me?" The pair ignore her and exit through the door.

Maddy squirmed against the restraints. She felt strange the moment the liquid entered her veins. From the injection site it spread through her body, the feeling of _something_ moving inside her. She breathed heavily, her chest heaving with each quick inhalation.

She had failed to notice the wall to her right which had a tinted glass window. Behind that window, the two scrubs entered the dark room. Two more people were already in the room, watching the monitors that displayed the subjects vitals and adrenaline level.

"God, look at this little thing. No way she is going to make it!" The male scrub that entered the room says. He walks to the table against the wall and leans on it, crossing his arms.

"I mean come on. We've had _hardened army men,_ and they haven't survived it. What chance is there that this little woman will?" He continues.

"Just because it's a woman doesn't mean she won't survive! Gender has no impact in this." The woman heatedly defends her gender.

"Oh, Halls. Don't get your panties in a twist. You know what I mean."

"No, Stanley, I don't."

"Hey, chill out you two! Don't make a big deal out of this." The man watching the monitors interjects. He pauses before adding, "Fifty bucks says she doesn't make it."

"Vinley!" Halls objected.

"Count me in."

The main overseer chimes in while keeping his eyes on Maddy, "Make it a hundred." The two men behind him chuckle.

"You're all pigs."

A speaker turns on and they all freeze.

"Dr. Hynes, control your team. Your job is to monitor the test subject, not make bets on survival rate. I have no patience for immaturity. Focus on the task or you will find yourself on the table next." A smooth, deep voice resonates over the speakers. The color on Dr. Hynes's face drains. His eyes flicker to the window high up on the opposite wall, another observation room.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Won't happen again." His voice trembles slightly. The voice over the speakers does not respond and they all relax when it clicks off. He shoots a glare at the two men behind him but says nothing, turning his attention back to the subject.

Maddy's struggle continues. The uncomfortable sensation of something moving inside her pauses at her heart before continuing. Next it infects her brain, she becomes dizzy. Her right arm fell ill next, like something crawling under her skin. It reaches her stomach and she jerks, starting to groan.

"Vitals elevated and continue to increase." Vinley comments. They all watch as the poor woman struggles, indifferent to her situation. She is nothing more than a lab rat to them.

Further and further, into her legs it continues until it reaches her feet. For a moment she relaxes, the uncomfortable sensation gone. If only she knew that that was the easy part.

A vice grip claimed her body and she arches her back, her mouth momentarily frozen in a silent scream. A burning pressure fills her veins; her lungs inhale deeply, only to force the oxygen back out in a horrific scream.

Her body contorted, jerking every which way, trying to free itself so it could claw the skin away from its bones. To stop the war raging in her body. To stop the pain.

Maddy closes her eyes tight, wanting desperately to block out the pain. Her head felt as if it would burst. Her brain felt like it was being stabbed over and over again. Her veins felt like they were filled with lava. The screaming continues until her throat felt raw and torn and her lungs ached. But she keeps screaming. It was almost comforting, like it was helping counteract the pain and pressure in her head.

She doesn't know how long it lasts. All she knows is pain. Her body moving on its own, her screams uncontrollable. Time stood still. It was irrelevant.

Finally the tension ebbs away from her body. Her back slowly lays against the table again, her limbs still. The only movement, the only sound, was her ragged breathing as her body was released from its suffering. Slowly she calms, her breathing returning to normal and her mind blacks out.

"Vitals decreasing. Stabilizing to normal levels." Vinley reads from the monitor.

"After extreme pain and convulsions, MA-42 falls unconscious." Dr. Hynes says.

Ten minutes pass with no change in her condition. The steady beeping from the machines are getting annoying. They are all growing restless.

"Halls. Stanley. Go examine the subject closer." The two scrubs who first attended Maddy nod to the doctor and leave the room.

A few moments later, after they went through decontamination, they enter the exam room. They slowly close the distance between them and Maddy. She was still unconscious and showed no immediate signs of waking up. Halls, begins to examine her head and neck. Stanley carefully examines her body, checking for any signs of infection.

"No dermal indications of infection and no tumors found. Only abnormalities is irritation at the injection site and mild bruising around the wrists and ankles due to struggling against the bonds." Stanley reports his findings.

"Eyes seem to be in the process of transformation." Halls was shining a small flashlight in one of Maddy's eyes, watching the pupil's reaction. Besides contracting as needed to the light, it was also transforming. The small circle gradually elongated until it resembled that of a small feline. Simultaneously, red streaks began to manifest in the iris.

"Pupils becoming slit. Iris pigmentation is becoming red and slightly illuminated."

Suddenly, Maddy awakens with a deep breath, like she had been deprived of oxygen. The pair jump away from her in alarm.

"What the hell, Vinley?!" Dr. Hynes turns to the man watching the monitors, who throws his hands up in defense.

"She wasn't showing any signs of waking up!"

Maddy's vision confuses her. Everything is tinted in shades of red.

Anger suddenly overcomes her. Anger and fear. And pain. Her head explodes, her brain screams in agony. Her vision is now starting to pulse and throb. All she can hear is wet, squirming, disgusting sounds crawling in her head.

Suddenly she jerks again. A prick of pain erupts in her left arm and she groans. The spectators watch as a tentacle slides out of her skin and wraps around her arm. Across her body, several blackened areas appear with tentacle-like bulges squirming beneath the skin around it. A few more tentacles emerge on her torso.

Halls and Stanley back toward the door slowly. Stanley presses the button to open the door and his heart freezes when it doesn't move.

"What are you doing, Stanley? Open the door!" Halls hisses to him.

"I'm trying. It won't open!"

Maddy pulls against her bonds. Straining, thrashing, trying to free herself.

"Dr. Hynes! Open the door! Hurry!"

"Heart rate extremely high! Her adrenaline level is through the roof!"

Dr. Hynes desperately pushed the button, typing commands into the console when nothing worked. "I'm trying! It's been overridden!"

Metal screeches as she tugs hard and finds her left arm free. Then her right arm, followed by both of her legs. She falls to the tile floor, clutching her head. The nodes are pulled from her body.

"Dr. Hynes, please!" Halls begged.

Dr. Hynes looks up to the observation room and suddenly understands how the controls are being overridden. They aren't going to get out of there alive.

She pulls herself up and stumbles onto her feet, still clutching her head, still hearing those disgusting sounds. Squirming, organic, visceral sounds.

Hall's flashlight falls from her hand and hits the floor. _Tlink_. Her face pales when she realizes what is about to happen.

Maddy's head shoots up, red eyes glowing like the fires of hell. She does not see two people standing in front of her. She sees a world tinted in red with two black figures. They are disgusting things; a squirming black mass of tentacles, formed like a bipedal specimen, with strange glowing tumors spread throughout it. The creatures were a perfect visual representation of the horrible sounds filling her head.

 _'Kill.'_ She thought. _'Kill those_ things _. The sounds will stop. God, make the sounds stop!'_

With a growl and a screech she launches herself at those two tentacle monsters, determined to end her torment. They screech in return and try to run away, but she won't let them. In a dash almost too fast to see she is next to the first _thing_. One of the tumors seems to glow brighter than the rest. It attracts her attention and she thrust her hand into the writhing black mass, grabbing the disgusting pustule and ripping it from the creature. It screams and melts into an oily, black, puddle of worms. She breathes a slight sigh as the sounds decrease in potency.

The second creature slithers to the opposite side of the room. Refusing to let it get away, she chases after it. It's back is against the wall with nowhere to go. She reaches it and it puts its tentacle arms up in defense, squealing desperately. It's center glows with a collection of the strange tumors. She pays the cries no mind, knocking the tentacle arms aside and thrusts her hand into the black mass. The orbs fade in intensity as the creature squeals. Like its partner, it too collapses into a black puddle.

Her body trembles and she turns away. The sounds in her head stop and she breaths a sigh of relief.

Dr. Hynes and Vinley stare in horror at what is left of their coworkers. They had seen gruesome things such as this before, but these were people they knew, not test subjects. Bile rises to Vinley's throat and he fights to swallow it back.

Her head hangs in relief, but the sounds continue. Very quiet, but still there. The slithering, like a pit of snakes. It gradually becomes louder and she turns to the source. She hadn't noticed that window there before.

"Jesus fucking Christ! She tore them apart! Oh god what do we do, Hynes? She's going to fucking kill us!" Vinley gasps out.

"Shut the hell up! We are safe in here. Besides, she doesn't know we're in here." Dr. Hynes turns and snaps at the young tech.

He looks back out. As if in response, Maddy looks toward the window.

Dr. Hynes pales and begins to sweat lightly. "No. It's fine. She can't get us." Vinley is beginning to panic.

"No! Fuck that, I'm getting out of here!" He runs to the door and pushes the button, but it remains closed.

"What the hell? Let us out!" He starts to desperately bang on the door.

Maddy approaches the window.

"Stop it, you idiot!" Dr. Hynes hisses to him and the younger man stops.

She stood in front of the window, looking inside blindly. Both men froze, their hearts racing.

Maddy looks into the window. She can't see anything and after the banging, the slithering stopped. But something was still there. Barely. She listens hard, and she could hear it. Beating, pulsing. A picture of those throbbing tumors appeared in her head and she is filled with rage once again. Suddenly she pulls her left arm back and punches the glass.

The two men jump in surprise. "It's okay. That's Lenax glass. No way she can break it."

In response, she throws her arm back and hits it again. This time a tiny crack appears. Beads of sweat starts to roll down Dr. Hynes's face.

Again, she hit it. The crack grew. Both men back away from the window.

With a primal scream, she hit it one final time. The glass shatters under her adrenaline fueled power. Shards of glass fall to the ground.

Maddy climbs through the window, feeling no pain as the broken glass cut into her hand. She also did not know that there were tentacles protruding from her body, wrapped around her torso and arms. They watch them slide around her, slime dripping down the black patches covering her body.

Vinley was shaking next to Dr. Hynes, terrified. The creature in front of him is a nightmare. He was used to the tentacles, but not when the subject still resembled a human. Not when the eyes threatened to burn through his soul. Not when there was no barrier protecting him from _it_.

He can't handle it. The window was right behind her. He could make it. He could dodge her and get out.

Dr. Hynes saw the way Vinley was eyeing the window. "Vinley, don't do it." He whispers quietly, watching him out of the corner of his eye. But his advice falls on deaf ears.

Vinley grunts as he pushes away from the wall. Maddy focuses her gaze on him. He runs and tries to pass by her but she wasn't about to let the monster get away.

She bares her teeth and turns to him, her tentacle covered arms grabbing him by his neck and picking him up off the ground. Vinley screams and struggles against her iron grip. Dr. Hynes watches her as she tightens her hold on the man's neck. He starts to gasp and he is almost positive that she is going to strangle him or break his neck.

Instead she pulls him back and slams him down against the broken glass. The sharp edges break the sensitive skin of his throat, cutting though half of his neck. Dr. Hynes watches Vinley spasm, hears him gurgle as blood floods his airway. Then he is still.

To Dr. Hynes, time was slowed. The woman—no, the monster—turns its head away from Vinley's still body. Red cat eyes glow from behind the strands of its hair. Its face was splattered with blood; the blood of his coworkers. He couldn't take it anymore. His eyes close tight and he holds his breath, not wanting to see it coming. Not wanting to see the incarnation of death itself approaching him.

Maddy is quick to dispatch the last creature. She ran at it, her fist pulled back and ready to strike. To anyone watching, it is over in a second. She dashes to him in a blur and brings her fist forward. There is a loud _crack_ of bone and concrete, and Dr. Hynes's headless body slumps to the ground. Blood, bone, and brain matter litter the cracks of the indented concrete.

The sounds in her head stop and she breaths a sigh of relief. Her body trembles and she turns away from the black oil splattered on the wall. Looks away from the broken glass, oil still trickling down the wall beneath it and collecting in a puddle on the floor. Away from the black pool in the corner of the room where she was infected. From the fading tumor laying in an oily black spill in front of the door. The monsters are gone.

* * *

From the observation room situated high on the wall facing Maddy, the man had watched the whole procedure. After the two techs had entered the room to examine the subject, he had input a command to override the controls and locked the room down. He had a strange feeling that something was about to happen. Of course, he had been correct. He had watched with increasing interest as she freed herself and proceeded to attack the trapped rats.

He watches her relax after killing Dr. Hynes, her illuminated eyes beginning to dull in intensity. The tentacles continue to writhe and slither against her softly, but she seems oblivious to their presence.

"Impressive performance." He speaks quietly. "But how much more can you handle?" He smirks deviously as he pushes a button.

* * *

Maddy closes her eyes, relishing in the silence. But as soon as she does, it is taken away. A different noise begins. This one she could tell was not inside her head. A constant ringing surrounded her. She brings her hands to her head and groans as it starts to protest, threatening to explode in pain once more.

The door in the big room opens. Four black tentacle creatures file through it and circle the table, cornering Maddy in the smaller room, their massive arms pointing at her. In an instant her eyes flash and burn bright again. She tenses, ready to fight.

They grunt and screech at her as she vaults over the window again. She immediately attacks the one to her right. It starts to screech— _rat-tat-tat—_ and she grunts as a prickling fire stings her gut. Unbeknownst to her, the tentacles on her own body move, wrapping around her abdomen and protecting her from the damage. She still feels a pressure but pays it no mind and closes the distance between them. She dashes and ends up behind it, her arm wraps around what she can only assume is the equivalent of its head. In a single grunt she tightens her arm, her free hand reaching in front and grabbing the opposite shoulder, twisting as hard as she could. A very loud _crack_ is heard and she is slightly confused. ' _Why would a creature made of tentacles crack?_ ', she thought. She remembers the one she had just previously killed and recalls a crack as well, but she had assumed it was from the wall behind it.

In her distraction, the monster next to her lashes out and hits her abdomen. When it touches her, her body tenses and she gasps for a second. Her muscles contract and she is unable to move, to speak, to even breathe. It only lasts five seconds but to her it felt like eternity.

When it pulls back, she falls to her knees panting. The creatures surround her defensively. A moment passes before she can recover. She stands again and tackles one creature to the ground, elbowing another one hard in the chest when it tries to hit her from behind. The third points at her and makes that strange _rat-tat-tat_ sound. Pain erupts across her back and she arches away from it. The tentacles move and cover her back.

The one beneath her moves a hand to its waist before pointing at her. She grabs the arm, using the other hand to hit the center of the tentacle and it bends with a _crack_ and a pained scream. A tumor in the body glows brighter for a moment and she thrust her hand into it. It screeches once more then becomes quiet.

She stands, almost knocking the one that was shooting her down. Turning, she grabs it, picking it up and slams it on the table next to them. It grasps at her arms but she lifts her arm and brings her elbow down on its face, repeatedly, until it stopped moving.

While she was smashing the monster's face, three more creatures entered through the door of the small room. One jumped through the window, the other two staying in the room. The monster that she had elbowed earlier finally recovered and joined the new opponent. They came up behind her, one shocking her. As she convulsed, they both grabbed her and tossed her to the two on the opposite side of the window. They grabbed her, each holding an arm. One advanced on her, the other close behind. It raised its arms, ready to hit her head and knock her out.

She regained her senses and saw it about to hit her. She lashes out with her foot, hitting its knee and making it stumble. She followed up by kicking it in the face, it staggered and fell back, knocking down the one behind it as well. They land in a pile and both start to convulse.

The two behind her hold on tight. But she is too strong for them to last long. She pulls her right arm forward, pulling the monster through the window and it lets go. She twists and pulls her arm free from the other one, taking its head and slamming it down against the broken glass that sinks into the soft tissue. She turns to the last monster, it starts to stand up. Dashing to it, she knees it in the face. It jerks up and she follows it with a punch that crushes its face and sends it flying across the room.

With no more monsters in sight, Maddy finally gives in to the ringing and she falls to her knees, head in hands and her teeth clenched tightly. The tentacles started to recede back into her body and she groans at the unusual sensation.

* * *

The man stood when the last of the guards had been dispatched. "My dear, you have piqued my interest." He smirks and chuckles darkly, disappearing from the room in a black blur.

* * *

The door to the main room opens again and Maddy looks up to see a figure emerge. She tenses and tries to stand but gasps and falls back to her knees.

The figure gets closer and she sees that it isn't one of the creatures. No, it looks like a man. He crouches in front of her and she lashes out. He grabs her forearms swiftly and holds them between the two of them. She fights against his grasp but it's only met with more force.

Another sweet moment without pain soothes her body and she stops thrashing. Her vision stops pulsing. The red tint fades and the regular spectrum of colors returns. She looks up at the figure in front of her and can make out his facial features: strong and defined jaw; thin, long nose; mouth a slim line. His hair is blonde, his clothes are black.

She laughs at herself, _'How can I be thinking of how handsome he is at a time like this?'_ He cocks his head to the side, confused by her contradictory behavior. For a moment she can make out a red flash behind the sunglasses he wore.

Her focus changes from the man to her hands. A sickening knot twists in her stomach and her chest tightens. There was blood covering her hands. Bright, wet blood. The creatures cross her mind for a moment and she looks around her.

Instead of the black puddles that she expected to see, there were human bodies. So much blood. Oh, god there is so much blood.

She stares horrified at the carnage and looks to her hands again. They tremble in the man's grasp. Her whole body shakes and she starts to hyperventilate.

"What have I done?" She looks up to him for answers—a reaction—but he remains stoic.

Her back arches suddenly and she starts to scream again. Another stabbing pain erupts through her head.

The man tries to hold on but decides it best to let her go. She falls back to the floor, her body writhing around. After a minute of her convulsions, she finally falls unconscious, giving her mind and body a much needed reprieve from the ordeal. The man watches her a moment more before picking her up and carrying her out of the room.


End file.
